Footwear article with collar elevator

ABSTRACT

A footwear article includes a collar elevator that returns an ankle collar from a lowered state that is conducive to donning up to a raised state that secures the wearer&#39;s foot during wear. The collar elevator may be arranged at various positions among the footwear article, such as above or below a strobel. The collar elevator may be coupled to the footwear article using various connectors. The footwear article may have other features, such as an ankle collar, that are configured in a manner to work together with the collar elevator.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/785,969 (filed Dec. 28, 2019), which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a footwear article having a collar elevator.

BACKGROUND

Some footwear articles include an ankle collar that is manipulated whenthe footwear article is put on. For example, the ankle collar may bedepressed towards the sole as the wearer's foot is slid into the upper.Furthermore, some of these footwear articles include a collar elevatoroperable to move the ankle collar from the depressed or lowered state tothe raised state. An example of one type of collar elevator is describedin U.S. Pat. No. 9,820,527, and examples of other collar elevators aredescribed in US Pat. Pub. 2018/0110292 and US Pat. Pub. 2018/0289109.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some subject matter described in this disclosure makes reference todrawing figures, which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

FIG. 1 depicts a side view of a footwear article in accordance with anaspect of this disclosure.

FIG. 2 depicts a top view of the footwear article of FIG. 1 inaccordance with an aspect of this disclosure.

FIGS. 3A-3C depict another footwear article having a collar elevator inaccordance with an aspect of this disclosure.

FIGS. 4A-4C depict another footwear article having an alternative collarelevator in accordance with an aspect of this disclosure.

FIG. 5A depicts a footwear article that is at least partiallydeconstructed in accordance with an aspect of this disclosure.

FIG. 5B depicts various couplings that may be used to attach variousportions of a collar elevator to an upper in accordance with an aspectof this disclosure.

FIG. 6A depicts another footwear article that is at least partiallydeconstructed in accordance with an aspect of this disclosure.

FIG. 6B depicts a cross-sectional view of a portion of the footweararticle in FIG. 6A in which the footwear article is at least partiallyassembled in accordance with an aspect of this disclosure.

FIGS. 7A-7C depict alternative outer and inner material layers for anupper in accordance with an aspect of this disclosure.

FIG. 8 depicts a cross-sectional view of a portion of a footwear articlein accordance with an aspect of this disclosure.

FIGS. 9A-9D depict various alternative collar elevators in accordancewith an aspect of this disclosure.

FIGS. 10A-10C depict various alternative soles in accordance with anaspect of this disclosure.

FIG. 10D depicts a cross-sectional view of the sole depicted in FIG. 10Cin accordance with an aspect of this disclosure.

FIGS. 11A and 11B depict another alternative footwear article inaccordance with an aspect of this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Subject matter is described throughout this Specification in detail andwith specificity in order to meet statutory requirements. The aspectsdescribed throughout this Specification are intended to be illustrativerather than restrictive, and the description itself is not intendednecessarily to limit the scope of the claims. Rather, the claimedsubject matter might be practiced in other ways to include differentelements or combinations of elements that are equivalent to the onesdescribed in this Specification and that are in conjunction with otherpresent technologies or future technologies. Upon reading the presentdisclosure, alternative aspects may become apparent to ordinary skilledartisans that practice in areas relevant to the described aspects,without departing from the scope of this disclosure. It will beunderstood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility andmay be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations.This is contemplated by, and is within the scope of, the claims.

The subject matter described in this Specification generally relates to,among other things, a footwear article that may be slipped on withminimal to no adjustments needed by one's hands, including manufacturesand methods associated therewith. In some aspects, the footwear articlemay include a collar elevator that moves an ankle collar from a loweredstate to a raised state.

Before describing the figures in more detail, some additionalexplanation will now be provided related to certain terminology that maybe used in this disclosure.

“A,” “an,” “the,” “at least one,” and “one or more” might be usedinterchangeably to indicate that at least one of the items is present.When such terminology is used, a plurality of such items might bepresent unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All numericalvalues of parameters (e.g., of quantities or conditions) in thisspecification, unless otherwise indicated expressly or clearly in viewof the context, including the appended claims, are to be understood asbeing modified in all instances by the term “about” whether or not“about” actually appears before the numerical value. “About” indicatesthat the stated numerical value allows some slight imprecision (withsome approach to exactness in the value; approximately or reasonablyclose to the value; nearly). If the imprecision provided by “about” isnot otherwise understood in the art with this ordinary meaning, then“about” as used herein indicates at least variations that may arise fromordinary methods of measuring and using such parameters. In addition, adisclosure of a range is to be understood as specifically disclosing allvalues and further divided ranges within the range. All referencesreferred to are incorporated herein in their entirety.

The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are inclusive andtherefore specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations,elements, or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition ofone or more other features, steps, operations, elements, or components.Orders of steps, processes, and operations may be altered when possible,and additional or alternative steps may be employed. As used in thisspecification, the term “or” includes any one and all combinations ofthe associated listed items. The term “any of” is understood to includeany possible combination of referenced items, including “any one of” thereferenced items. The term “any of” is understood to include anypossible combination of referenced claims of the appended claims,including “any one of” the referenced claims.

For consistency and convenience, directional adjectives might beemployed throughout this detailed description corresponding to theillustrated examples. Ordinary skilled artisans will recognize thatterms such as “above,” “below,” “upward,” “downward,” “top,” “bottom,”etc., may be used descriptively relative to the figures, withoutrepresenting limitations on the scope of the invention, as defined bythe claims.

The term “longitudinal,” as possibly used throughout this detaileddescription and in the claims, refers to a direction extending a lengthof a component. For example, a longitudinal direction of a shoe extendsbetween a forefoot region and a heel region of the shoe. The term“forward” or “anterior” is used to refer to the general direction from aheel region toward a forefoot region, and the term “rearward” or“posterior” is used to refer to the opposite direction, i.e., thedirection from the forefoot region toward the heel region. In somecases, a component may be identified with a longitudinal axis as well asa forward and rearward longitudinal direction along that axis. Thelongitudinal direction or axis may also be referred to as ananterior-posterior direction or axis.

The term “transverse,” as possibly used throughout this detaileddescription and in the claims, refers to a direction extending a widthof a component. For example, a transverse direction of a shoe extendsbetween a lateral side and a medial side of the shoe. The transversedirection or axis may also be referred to as a lateral direction or axisor a mediolateral direction or axis.

The term “vertical,” as possibly used throughout this detaileddescription and in the claims, refers to a direction generallyperpendicular to both the lateral and longitudinal directions. Forexample, in cases where a sole is planted flat on a ground surface, thevertical direction may extend from the ground surface upward. It will beunderstood that each of these directional adjectives may be applied toindividual components of a sole. The term “upward” or “upwards” refersto the vertical direction pointing towards a top of the component, whichmay include an instep, a fastening region, and/or a throat of an upper.The term “downward” or “downwards” refers to the vertical directionpointing opposite the upwards direction, toward the bottom of acomponent, and may generally point towards the bottom of a solestructure of an article of footwear.

The “interior” of an article of footwear, such as a shoe, refers toportions at the space that is occupied by a wearer's foot when the shoeis worn. The “inner side” of a component refers to the side or surfaceof the component that is (or will be) oriented toward the interior ofthe component or article of footwear in an assembled article offootwear. The “outer side” or “exterior” of a component refers to theside or surface of the component that is (or will be) oriented away fromthe interior of the shoe in an assembled shoe. In some cases, othercomponents may be between the inner side of a component and the interiorin the assembled article of footwear. Similarly, other components may bebetween an outer side of a component and the space external to theassembled article of footwear. Further, the terms “inward” and“inwardly” shall refer to the direction toward the interior of thecomponent or article of footwear, such as a shoe, and the terms“outward” and “outwardly” shall refer to the direction toward theexterior of the component or article of footwear, such as a shoe. Inaddition, the term “proximal” refers to a direction that is nearer acenter of a footwear component, or is closer toward a foot when the footis inserted in the article of footwear as it is worn by a user.Likewise, the term “distal” refers to a relative position that isfurther away from a center of the footwear component or is further froma foot when the foot is inserted in the article of footwear as it isworn by a user. Thus, the terms proximal and distal may be understood toprovide generally opposing terms to describe relative spatial positions.

In order to aid in the explanation of, and understanding of, aspects ofthis Specification, reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2 to describeelements of a typical footwear article 10, which may include a tonguereinforcer. FIG. 1 depicts a lateral side of the footwear article 10,and FIG. 2 depicts a top of the footwear article. When describing thevarious figures mentioned in this disclosure, like reference numbersrefer to like components throughout the views.

The footwear article 10 includes at least two primary elements includinga sole structure 12 and an upper 14. When the footwear article 10 isworn (as intended on a foot), the sole structure 12 is typicallypositioned near the foot plantar surface (i.e., the bottom of the foot).The sole structure 12 may protect the bottom of the foot, and inaddition, may attenuate ground-reaction forces, absorb energy, providetraction, and control foot motion, such as pronation and supination. Theupper 14 is coupled to the sole structure 12, and together with the solestructure 12, forms a foot-receiving cavity 16. That is, while the solestructure 12 typically encloses the bottom of the foot, the upper 14extends over, and at least partially covers, a dorsal portion of thefoot (i.e., the top of the foot or the instep) and secures the footweararticle 10 to the foot. The upper 14 includes a foot-insertion opening18, through which a foot is inserted when the footwear article 10 is puton as the foot is arranged into the foot-receiving cavity 16.

As indicated in FIG. 1, the footwear article 10 may include a forefootregion 20, a midfoot region 22, a heel region 24, and an ankle region26. The forefoot region 20, the midfoot region 22, and the heel region24 extend through the sole structure 12 and the upper 14. The ankleregion 26 is located in a portion of the upper 14. The forefoot region20 generally includes portions of the footwear article 10 correspondingwith the toes and the joints connecting the metatarsals with thephalanges. The midfoot region 22 generally includes portions of thefootwear article 10 corresponding with the arch area and instep of thefoot. The heel region 24 corresponds with rear portions of the foot,including the calcaneus bone. The ankle region 26 corresponds with theankle. The forefoot region 20, the midfoot region 22, the heel region24, and the ankle region 26 are not intended to demarcate precise areasof the footwear article 10, and are instead intended to representgeneral areas of the footwear article 10 to aid in the understanding ofvarious aspects of this Specification. In addition, portions of afootwear article may be described in relative terms using these generalzones. For example, a first structure may be described as being moreheelward than a second structure, in which case the second structurewould be more toeward and closer to the forefoot.

The footwear article 10 also has a medial side 28 (identified in FIG. 2and obscured from view in FIG. 1) and a lateral side 30 (identified inFIG. 2 and viewable in FIG. 1). The medial side 28 and the lateral side30 extend through each of the forefoot region 20, the midfoot region 22,the heel region 24, and the ankle region 26, and correspond withopposite sides of the footwear article 10, each falling on an oppositeside of a longitudinal midline reference plane 29 of the footweararticle 10, as is understood by those skilled in the art. For example,the longitudinal midline reference plane 29 may pass through theforemost point of the sole structure and the rearmost point of the solestructure. The medial side 29 is thus considered opposite to the lateralside 30. Typically, the lateral side corresponds with an outside area ofthe foot (i.e., the surface that faces away from the other foot), andthe medial side corresponds with an inside area of the foot (i.e., thesurface that faces toward the other foot). In another aspect, thefootwear article includes an anterior portion 33 and a posterior portion35, falling on an opposite side of a latitudinal midline reference plane31 of the footwear article 10. The latitudinal midline reference plane31 extends perpendicular to the longitudinal midline reference plane 29and to the ground-surface plane and is spaced evenly between theforemost point of the footwear article 10 and the rearmost point of thefootwear article 10. In addition, these terms may also be used todescribe relative positions of different structures. For example, afirst structure that is closer to the inside portion of the footweararticle might be described as medial to a second structure, which iscloser to the outside area and is more lateral.

In describing a footwear article, the relative terms “inferior” and“superior” may also be used. For example, the superior portion generallycorresponds with a top portion that is oriented closer towards aperson's head when the person's feet are positioned flat on a horizontalground surface and the person is standing upright, whereas the inferiorportion generally corresponds with a bottom portion oriented fartherfrom a person's head and closer to the ground surface.

The sole structure 12 may be constructed of various materials and mayinclude various elements. For example, the sole structure 12 may includea midsole 32 and an outsole 34. The midsole 32 may be formed from acompressible polymer foam element (e.g., a polyurethane or ethylenevinyl acetate (EVA) foam) that attenuates ground reaction forces (i.e.,provides cushioning) when compressed between the foot and the groundduring walking, running, or other ambulatory activities. In furtheraspects, the midsole 32 may incorporate fluid-filled chambers, plates,moderators, or other elements that further attenuate forces, enhancestability, or influence motions of the foot. The midsole 32 may be asingle, one-piece midsole, or could be multiple components integrated asa unit. In some aspects, the midsole 32 may be integrated with theoutsole 34 as a unisole. The outsole 34 may be one-piece, or may beseveral outsole components, and may be formed from a wear-resistantrubber material that may be textured to impart traction and/or mayinclude traction elements such as tread or cleats secured to the midsole32. The outsole 34 may extend either the entire length and width of thesole or only partially across the length and/or width.

The upper 14 may also be constructed of various materials and mayinclude various features. For example, the upper 14 may be constructedof leather, textiles, or other synthetic or natural materials. Further,the upper 14 may be a knit textile, woven, braided, non-woven, laminate,or any combination thereof. The upper 14 may have various materialproperties related to breathability, stretch, flexibility, wicking,water resistance, and the like.

The upper 14 typically includes a portion that overlaps with, and isconnected to, the sole structure 12, and the junction of this connectionmay be referred to as a biteline. In addition, the upper 14 may includea “strobel,” which includes a material panel extending from the upper 14and across at least a portion of a foot-facing surface of the solestructure 12, and the strobel may be used to hold the upper 14 on a lastwhen the sole structure 12 is attached to the upper 14. Stateddifferently, the sole structure 12 that is integrated into the footweararticle 10 includes a foot-facing surface, and in some instances, theupper 14 may include a panel (referred to as a strobel) that extendsinward from near the biteline region and at least partially covers thefoot-facing surface. In that instance, the strobel is positionedunderneath a foot when the footwear article is worn. The strobel may becovered by an insole or other layer of material.

The upper 14 includes other features. For example, the upper 14 includesan ankle collar 36 that forms a perimeter around at least a portion ofthe foot-insertion opening 18. In addition, the upper 14 includes athroat 38 that often extends from the ankle collar 36 and forms aperimeter along at least one or more sides of an elongated opening 40. Atongue 42 is located in the elongated opening 40, and a size of theelongated opening 40 can be adjusted using various closure systems. Forexample, FIG. 1 illustrates laces 44, and other closure systems mayinclude elastic bands, hook-and-loop straps, zippers, buckles, and thelike. The position of the tongue 42 and the connections of the closuresystem can be adjusted to vary a size of the foot-insertion opening andthe elongated opening, such as by making the openings larger when thefootwear article is being donned or doffed and by making the openingssmaller when the footwear article is being secured onto a foot. Thetongue 42 may include a discrete component that is affixed at one ormore locations to the upper, or alternatively, the tongue may be anintegrally formed region of the upper. Additional aspects contemplatethe elongated opening 40 (which may also be referred to as a forefootopening) may be omitted and instead the medial and lateral sides of theupper converge and are continuous across an area that traditionallyincludes the elongated opening 40.

The footwear article 10 might include an athletic-type shoe, such asmight be worn when running or walking, and the description of thefootwear article 10, including the elements described with respect toFIGS. 1 and 2, might also be applicable to other types of shoes, such asbasketball shoes, tennis shoes, American football shoes, soccer shoes,leisure or casual shoes, dress shoes, work shoes, a sandal, a slipper, aboot, hiking shoes, and the like.

Having described FIGS. 1 and 2, reference is now made to FIGS. 3A-3C and4A-4C to describe some other aspects of this disclosure. Each of FIGS.3A, 3B, and 3C depicts a footwear article 310, which includes an upper314 coupled to a sole 312, and the upper 314 includes a heel region 324and an ankle region 326 with an ankle collar 336. The ankle collar 336is movable between a lowered state (as depicted in FIG. 3C) and a raisedstate (as depicted in FIGS. 3A and 3B). In the lowered state, the anklecollar 336 is positioned closer to the sole 312, and in the raisedstate, the ankle collar 336 is positioned farther from the sole 312.Similarly, the footwear article 410 includes an upper 414 coupled to asole 412, and the upper 414 includes a heel region 424 and an ankleregion 426 with an ankle collar 436.

Furthermore, the footwear article 310 includes a collar elevator 350that is coupled to the upper 314 near the heel region 324 and/or theankle region 326 and that is operable to move the ankle collar 336 fromthe lowered state to the raised state. More specifically, the collarelevator 350 includes portions that are positioned in the heel region324 and that extend up into the ankle region 326. As previouslyindicated, there are not necessarily precise delineations between theheel region 324 and the ankle region 326; rather, describing thepositioning of the collar elevator 350 with respect to these regions isone way to describe that the collar elevator 350 extends from a moreinferior part closer to the sole to a more superior part closer to theankle collar 336. As far as the coupling of the collar elevator 350 tothe upper 314 near the heel region 324 and/or near the ankle region 326,this coupling may take various forms. For example, the collar elevator350 may be coupled to the upper in the heel region 324, in the ankleregion 326, to the ankle collar 336, or any and all combinationsthereof. The collar elevator 350 is an example of one type of collarelevator operable to move an ankle collar from the lowered state to theraised state, and as will be described in other portions of thisdisclosure, a collar elevator may include one or more alternativestructures than those depicted in FIGS. 3A-3C. For example, FIGS. 4A-4Cdepict a footwear article 410 with a collar elevator 450 that isoperable to move the ankle collar 436 from the lowered state (e.g., FIG.4C) to the raised state (e.g., FIGS. 4A and 4B) and that has a differentstructure from the collar elevator 350.

For illustrative purposes, the upper 314 and the upper 414 is ghosted indashed lines, and a collar elevator may be arranged in various locationswith respect to an upper. For example, a collar elevator may be affixedat least partially, and possibly entirely, between an exterior layer andan inner lining in the heel region, in the ankle region, in the anklecollar, or any and all combinations thereof. In another aspect, a collarelevator may be at least partially exposed and arranged on the outsideor exterior surface of the upper. In a further aspect, at least aportion of the collar elevator may be arranged on the inside,foot-facing surface of an inner lining. In another aspect, the collarelevator might be arranged on the exterior of the footwear article andmight be attached to a heel portion of the ankle collar by a tab, heatstake, bonding agent, stitch, or other coupling.

A collar elevator (such as the collar elevators 350 and 450) may includevarious elements. In one aspect, a collar elevator includes a mediallever arm, a lateral lever arm, and a center connecting band thatcouples the medial lever arm to the lateral lever arm and that islocated in a heel portion of the ankle collar. In a further aspect, eachlever arm is affixed to a base, which remains stationary relative to thelever arms as the lever arms deform when the ankle collar is moved to alowered state. The base may be a portion of the footwear article, suchas a portion of the sole or a portion of the upper. In addition, thebase may be one or more other anchors affixed directly or indirectly tothe sole, the sole itself, or any combination thereof. U.S. Pat. No.9,820,527 describes one or more collar elevators, some of which may bereferred to as a deformable member or as deformable members (with orwithout a base), and the full disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 9,820,527 isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In accordance with anaspect of this disclosure, at least some of the deformable membersdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,820,527 include a medial lever arm, alateral lever arm, and a center connecting band that couples the mediallever arm to the lateral lever arm. In other examples, US 2018/0110292and US 2018/0289109 each describes a plurality of other collarelevators, some of which are referred to as a control bar (with orwithout a base), and the full disclosures of US 2018/0110292 and US2018/0289109 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Inaccordance with an aspect of this disclosure, at least some of thecontrol bars described in US 2018/0110292 and US 2018/0289109 include amedial lever arm, a lateral lever arm, and a center connecting band thatcouples the medial lever arm to the lateral lever arm.

Each of the illustrated collar elevators 350 and 450 depicts examples ofmedial lever arms 352 and 452, respectively. In addition, each of theillustrated collar elevators 350 and 450 depicts examples of laterallever arms 354 and 454, respectively, and center connecting bands 356and 456, respectively. Furthermore, the lever arms 352 and 354 attach toa base 358, and the lever arms 452 and 454 attach to a base 458 having adifferent structure from the base 358. The base 358 is affixed to ornear a foot-facing surface of the sole 312, and the base 358 might be aportion of an outsole, a portion of a midsole, a portion of an insole, aportion of a strobel, a plate or sheet of material layered between anyof these sole layers, or any combination thereof. Among other things,the base 358 might include a rigid portion or section to which the leverarms 352 and 354 are anchored. FIGS. 4A-4C depict a different aspect, inwhich the base 458 might attach to a portion of the upper (e.g., a heelcounter), a portion of the midsole sidewall, or any combination thereof,and the base 458 wraps around a backside of the footwear article, asopposed to extending through the footbed in the manner described withrespect to the base 358.

The medial lever arm, the lateral lever arm, and the center connectingband may be a single continuous body, such that clear demarcation maynot exist between the medial lever arm, the lateral lever arm, and thecenter connecting band. For example, the medial and lateral arms and thecenter connecting band may be molded, cast, 3D printed, or otherwiseformed as a single, integrally formed unit. In other aspects, the mediallever arm and the lateral lever arm may be discrete, separate, anddistinct elongated members, which are connected to the center connectingband, such as by a mechanical or chemical coupling, a friction fit,sheathing, or other coupling.

Having generally described some of the structural elements of a collarelevator, some operational aspects of a collar elevator will now bedescribed. As briefly described above, the collar elevator moves theankle collar from the lowered state to the raised state. Morespecifically, at least a portion of the medial lever arm, the laterallever arm, the center connecting band, or any combination thereof, isaffixed to a portion of the upper. In one aspect, the center connectingband may be affixed near a heel portion of the ankle collar. Forexample, as described in other portions of this disclosure, the centerconnecting band may be attached to the heel portion of the ankle collarby an adhesive, connection tab, heat stake, stitch, and the like. Assuch, when the ankle collar is moved to a lowered state closer to thesole, the medial lever arm and the lateral lever arm deform to a morecompressed or more loaded position. Stated differently, the collarelevator stores potential energy by elastically deforming from a lesscompressed configuration (e.g., FIGS. 3A and 4A) to a more compressedconfiguration (e.g., FIGS. 3C and 4C) when an applied force moves theankle collar from the raised state to the lowered state. The potentialenergy returns the collar elevator to the less compressed configurationupon removal of the applied force, and since the collar elevator isaffixed to the upper, the ankle collar is also moved from the loweredstate to the raised state. While the compression of the collar elevatormay be greater when the ankle collar is moved to the lowered state (ascompared with the raised state), in the raised state the collar elevatormay still store potential energy in an at least partially deformed state(i.e., preloaded compression) so as to be able to hold a rear, heelportion of the ankle collar about the heel of the wearer. For example,if the collar elevator is attached to the upper heel region and/or theupper ankle region, then portions of the upper may hold or retain thecollar elevator in the preloaded configuration when the ankle collar isin the raised state. In other aspects, the collar elevator may beunloaded when the ankle collar is in the raised state.

In one aspect, the portion 325 or 425 of the upper below the centerconnecting band may include one or more textiles that are more flexiblethan other portions of the upper. This more flexible region of the uppermay, for example, be at least partially in the heel-counter region.Among other things, this more flexible portion 325 or 425 of the uppermay collapse more easily when the ankle collar is moved to a lower stateand may provide less resistance for the collar elevator (as comparedwith a less flexible upper in other parts of the footwear article or ina typical footwear article) when the collar elevator is returning to theless compressed state.

In some aspects, the combination of the medial lever arm, the laterallever arm, and the center connecting band may be referred to as adeformable element. The term “deformable element” refers to aresiliently flexible member that can be bent or compressed but has abias to move towards a non-bent or uncompressed state. The deformableelement may include a single, integrally formed, deformable element,extending continuously from the medial lever arm to the lateral leverarm. In other aspects, the medial lever arm and the lateral lever armmay be two or more separate and distinct deformable elements thatconnect to the center connecting band, which may also be referred to asa heel piece.

In some aspects, the deformable element might be directly coupled,mounted, or attached to the base. In other aspects, the base may includeone or more anchors that engage and retain the deformable element inplace. For example, anchors may be located at a junction (e.g., 359 and459) between the lever arms and the base. Such anchors might beintegrally formed with, coupled to and/or located within or between oroutside of portions of the sole (e.g., insole, midsole, outsole). Forexample, an anchor may be disposed in a block, plate, or wedge layeredor embedded among, on top, or beneath the sole. In some instances, aportion of the sole (e.g., midsole) might be carved or cut out to attachto or house an anchor. In another aspect, a base extending in themediolateral orientation (e.g., base 358) includes an anchor-shapedreceptacle into which an anchor engages by way of a resistance fit,compression fit, a snap fit, or via an interlockingmechanism/configuration. In other examples, the anchors may beintegrally formed with, coupled to, and/or located within, between, oroutside of portions of the upper. For example, anchors may be located inthe upper, in a heel counter, or any combination thereof. A singleanchor may extend a full width of the footwear article, or two anchorsmay be positioned on opposing sides of the footwear article (e.g., onthe medial and lateral sides). The deformable member may attach to thebase or to an anchor at an angle. For example, the deformable membermight attach at a perpendicular angle to the base and then curve or arcrearwardly. In another aspect, the deformable member might attach at aforwardly inclining angle (i.e., upwards and forwards) or a rearwardlyreclining angle (i.e., upwards and rearwards) before rearwardly arcing.

A connection between the deformable member and the base or the anchorsmay be described in various manners. For example, in one aspect, thedeformable element does not pivot (i.e., is non-pivoting) about the base(e.g., about an insole, midsole, or outsole). Described differently, thedeformable element may be non-rotatably coupled to the base. In variousaspects, engagement between the deformable element and the base (oranchor) is free of play, meaning that there is little or no relativemovement between the two components.

A deformable element may include one or more of a tube, a wire, aspring, a shape memory structure or material, and the like. Furthermore,a deformable element can include one or more materials such as carbonsteel, stainless steel, titanium, nickel titanium (nitinol) and othermetals and alloys (shape-memory or otherwise), polymers (shape-memory orotherwise), composite materials, foam materials, graphite, carbon fiber,fiberglass, TPC-ET, silicone, TPU, and polycarbonate. For example, adeformable element might include titanium or be a titanium wire. Also,one or more deformable elements might be made of a first material, e.g.,titanium, and one or more additional deformable elements might be madeof a second material, e.g., graphite.

In some aspects, the deformable element might include a single, unitarypiece. For instance, a first end of the deformable element (e.g., an endof the medial lever arm) might be embedded in, or attached to, a medialanchor; a second end of the deformable element (e.g., an end of thelateral lever arm) might be embedded in or attached to a lateral anchor;and a middle portion of the deformable element (e.g., the centerconnecting band) might extend around the heel portion or ankle portionof the upper, or be embedded within some additional heel-piecestructure.

In other aspects, the deformable element might include a plurality ofseparate and distinct components. For instance, a deformable elementmight include two separate components, with a first component (e.g.,medial lever arm) having a first end embedded in or attached to a medialanchor and a second end embedded in or attached to the medial side of aheel piece or center connecting band. As such, a second component (e.g.,lateral lever arm) might similarly include a first end embedded in orattached to a lateral anchor and a second end embedded in or attached tothe lateral side of the heel piece or center connecting band. Theplurality of separate and distinct components can be secured together,for example, with one or more of a tape wrap, woven encasing, overmold(e.g., TPU), heat shrink tube, and the like, each of which can providedifferent stabilities and strengths. For example, a deformable elementmight include one or more wires encased independently or encasedtogether in a cover, sleeve, overmold, or heat shrink tube. The one ormore wires can arch, bend, and sway and then return to an initial/normalstate in order to help facilitate the elastic deformation of thedeformable element.

A deformable element might have variable mechanical properties along itslength and/or at distinct points along its length. Such variation mightbe provided by the deformable element (e.g., by a wire or bundle of twoor more wires), by a securement surrounding all or a portion of thedeformable element(s), or any combination thereof. For example, thedeformable element and/or the securement might have a variablecross-section, a variable density, a variable material, and/or the likealong its length. A variable cross-section, in turn, can be provided byvariation in thickness or shape, or twisting of the deformable elementotherwise having a constant thickness or shape along its length.

As briefly described above, a deformable element may include a cover,sleeve, overmold, or other suitable structure, which might protect otherelements (e.g., wire, spring, etc.) of the deformable element and mightcontrol, guide, support and/or otherwise affect the flexure orcompression of the deformable element. In some aspects, the cover, basedon its material of manufacture, shape, geometry, etc., is configured tofacilitate mechanical stress distribution by transferring mechanicalbending/deforming forces from the deformable element (e.g., from thewire(s) or spring) to the cover to prevent, or at least inhibit, thedeformable element from damage or breakage that may otherwise resultfrom the concentrated and repeated mechanical stress experienced by thedeformable element. For example, the cover may have dimensions that varyalong its length, such as a funnel-like tapering shape, to helpdistribute stress and contribute to the dynamic flexing of thedeformable element. In the event that the deformable element breaks, thecover might still provide at least some degree of bias, thereby stillhelping to move the ankle collar from the lowered position to the raisedposition. Further, the cover may provide additional padding and/orsupport to the deformable element and may prevent, or at least inhibit,a wearer from feeling the deformable element.

As briefly described above, the center connecting band may also bereferred to as a heel piece. The center connecting band may beintegrally formed with the medial and lateral lever arms, as a single,continuous unit. In other aspects, the center connecting band may be aseparate piece that extends between, and bridges, the medial and laterallever arms. Among other things, the center connecting band may provide acoupling to the upper and may provide a frame to the ankle collar, toinhibit the ankle collar from collapsing into the foot-receiving openingwhen a foot is being inserted.

When being put on by a wearer, a footwear article with a collar elevator(e.g., collar elevators 350 and 450) might be slipped on by the wearerwithout the wearer using his or her hands to manipulate the footweararticle. For example, the wearer's toes may be inserted through thefoot-insertion openings 318 or 418, while the arch or heel of his or herfoot is used to press downward on the ankle collars 336 or 436 towardsthe soles 312 or 412. This adjustment of the ankle collar 336 or 436into the lowered state closer to the sole may increase a size of thefoot-insertion opening 318 or 418. Once the wearer's foot has been slidinto the foot-receiving cavity 316 or 416, the collar elevator 350 or450 moves the ankle collar from the lowered state (i.e., FIGS. 3C and4C) to the raised state (i.e., FIGS. 3A and 4A) to help secure thefootwear article to the wearer's foot.

Among other things, the collar elevators 350 and 450 may reducepotential structural breakdown of the upper heel region and upper ankleregion over time, which could result from repeated hands-free donning,by providing a frame operational to return to, or bias in, the raisedstate. Furthermore, the collar elevators 350 and 450 may allow the userto more easily don (i.e., put on) his or her shoes without the use ofhands and/or without having to bend down to tie the laces, withouthaving to use a shoe horn, or without using other such adjustmentfeatures, elements, or mechanisms for fit. Moreover, the footweararticles 310 and 410 may more easily receive, or more easily direct awearer's foot into, or otherwise accommodate, a wearer's foot withrespect to, the foot-receiving opening. This potentially easier donningmay result from, among other things, the collar elevators 350 and 450helping to provide a larger foot-insertion opening without allowing atopline of the ankle collar to fold inward towards the foot-receivingcavity.

Operation of the footwear articles 310 and 410 may be described invarious manners. For example, the ankle collars 336 and 436 may beelastic or may include a goring element that permits expansion of thefoot-insertion openings 318 and 418, such as when the ankle collar ismoved to a lowered state. In the lowered state, the foot-insertionopenings 318 and 418 may be expanded by at least about 5%, or at leastabout 10%, or at least about 15%. This measured expansion may bedetected in various manners. For example, a first circumference of thefoot-insertion opening may be measured when the ankle collar is in afirst state, and a second circumference may be measured when the anklecollar is in a second state, which is closer to the sole (relative tothe first state). The distance of the ankle collar from the sole in thefirst and second states may be measured in a vertical plane (i.e.,perpendicular relative to the horizontal reference plane, including aflat ground surface on which the ground-contacting surface sits in anat-rest position), and the distance may be measured from a rearmostpoint of the ankle collar topline edge to a topline edge of the sole(e.g., where the sole connects to the upper at the biteline). As such,the distance in the first state will be longer than the distance in thesecond state, and in one aspect, the second distance is equal to orshorter than 75% of the first distance. Continuing with the aboveexample, in the second state having the distance equal to or shorterthan 75% of the distance in the first state, the circumference may beexpanded by at least about 5%, or at least about 10%, or at least about15%. In a further example, a circumference of the foot-insertionopenings 318 and 418 may be expandable by at least about 1.0 inch (about2.54 centimeters), when the ankle collar is in the second state havingthe distance equal to or shorter than 75% of the distance in the firststate. An amount of the expansion of the foot-insertion opening 318 and418 may vary with the shoe style and size. In other aspects, a height ofthe ankle collars 336 and 436 above the soles 312 and 412 in the loweredstate is about 50% lower than the height in the raised state, however,as with other parameters, this may vary depending on the shoe style andsize.

As described in other portions of this disclosure, the collar elevators350 and 450 provide a return force when moving the ankle collars 336 and436 from the lowered state to the raised state. In some aspects, thereturn force is between about 1 pound-force and about 15 pound-force,and this may be measured at various positions of the ankle collar. Forexample, as explained above, the ankle collar may include a first statehaving a first distance from the sole and a second state having a seconddistance from the sole, which is shorter than the distance in the firststate. In one aspect, the collar elevators 350 and 450 provide thereturn force between about 1 pound-force and about 15 pound-force in thesecond state having the distance equal to or shorter than about 85% ofthe distance in the first state. In a further aspect, the collarelevators 350 and 450 provide the return force between about 1pound-force and about 15 pound-force in the second state having thedistance equal to or shorter than about 75% of the distance in the firststate. Further still, the collar elevators 350 and 450 might provide thereturn force between about 1 pound-force and about 15 pound-force in thesecond state having the distance equal to or shorter than about 50% ofthe distance in the first state. The return force may be strong enoughsuch that the rear of the ankle collar rebounds back up from the secondstate and snugly fits around the wearer's heel. For example, the anklecollars 336 and 436 may be elevated from the lowered state to the raisedstate in less than about 1 second, when the distance between the anklecollar and the sole in the lowered state is shorter than 85%, or shorterthan 75%, or shorter than 50% of the distance in the raised state. Inother aspects, ankle collars 336 and 436 may be elevated from thelowered state to the raised state in less than about 0.5 seconds, whenthe distance between the ankle collar and the sole in the lowered stateis shorter than 85%, or shorter than 75%, or shorter than 50% of thedistance in the raised state. And in further aspects, the ankle collars336 and 436 may be elevated from the lowered state to the raised statein less than about 0.2 seconds, when the distance between the anklecollar and the sole in the lowered state is shorter than 85%, or shorterthan 75%, or shorter than 50% of the distance in the raised state. Thisrebound time is measured absent any counteracting external forces, suchas friction that might be imparted by the wearer's heel.

The footwear articles 310 and 410 may be constructed in various manners,and referring to FIGS. 5A and 6A, illustrations are provided showingfootwear articles 510 and 610 (respectively) partially deconstructed.For example, in FIG. 5A, an upper 514, a collar elevator 550, a base558, a sole insert 519, and a sole 512 are depicted in a decoupledstate; and in FIG. 6A, an upper 614, a collar elevator 650 and base 658,and a sole 612 are depicted in a decoupled state. The footwear articles510 and 610 are similar to the footwear article 310 in that the base 558and 658 is positioned underneath the foot-receiving cavity when thefootwear article 510 is constructed. That is, the base 558 and 658 ispositioned between the sole 512 and 612 and the foot-receiving cavity516 and 616, such that when the footwear article 510 and 610 is in anas-worn configuration, the base 558 and 658 is positioned beneath thefoot. While the footwear articles 510 and 610 are similar in that thatbases 558 and 658 are positioned between the sole and the foot-receivingcavity (e.g., under foot), they also include various differences fromone another and help to illustrate variations that might be included inthe footwear article 310.

The footwear article 510 includes an upper 514 with a heel region 524and an ankle region 526. In addition, the footwear article 510 includesan ankle collar 536 that is movable between a between a lowered statepositioned closer to the sole and a raised state positioned farther fromthe sole. The upper also includes an outer material layer 513 and aninner material layer 515. Relative to one another, the inner materiallayer 515 is closer to the foot-receiving cavity 516 and the outermaterial layer 513 is farther from the foot-receiving cavity 516.

The footwear article 510 also includes a collar elevator 550, at least aportion of which is positioned between the outer material layer 513 andthe inner material layer 515 when the footwear article is constructed.The dashed lines 551 are provided merely as a general guide forapproximate positioning of the collar elevator 550. The inner materiallayer 515 is illustrated as lining the heel region 524 at least from thefront edge 515A extending rearward, and FIGS. 7A-7C depict alternativevariations of an outer material layer 713A-C and an inner material layer715A-C, based on a cross-sectional view taken at reference line 7-7 inFIG. 5A. For example, FIG. 7A illustrates one aspect in which an innermaterial layer 715A extends from the topline edge of the ankle collar tonear a strobel stitch. In other aspects depicted by FIG. 7B, the innermaterial layer 715B might include a smaller material panel that linesonly a portion of the heel region 524. For example, the inner materiallayer 715B may only extend along a region aligned with the collarelevator 550, and in this respect, the inner material layer 715B mayform (together with the outer material layer 713B) part of anencasement, textile sheath, or channel for the lever arms 552 and 554.Alternatively, the outer material layer might include a smaller panel(relative to the inner material layer) that overlies only a portion ofthe inner material layer and that extends along a region aligned withthe collar elevator 550 to form an outer wall of an encasement, textilesheath, or channel for the lever arms 552 and 554. In another aspectdepicted by FIG. 7C, the outer material layer 713C and the innermaterial layer 715C may be integrally knit with one another to form alever-arm channel.

Furthermore, the footwear article 510 includes the base 558, which isdepicted detached from the collar elevator 550 for illustrativepurposes. In one aspect, the collar elevator 550 may be initially formedseparately from the base 558, and then attached to the base 558 at thelever-arm terminal ends 553 and 555, such as with anchors. In anotheraspect, the base 558 and the collar elevator 550 might be integrallyformed with one another (e.g., the base 558 is continuous with the leverarms), such as with a co-molding process.

The collar elevator 550 may be coupled between the outer and innermaterial layers 513 and 515 in various manners. For example, in oneaspect the inner material layer 515 includes a bottom edge 517 that isdetached in at least some locations from the outer material layer 513.As such, the collar elevator 550 may be placed into position byseparating the bottom edge 517 from the outer material layer 513 andinserting the collar elevator 550 into the space between the inner andouter material layers 515 and 513. The base 558 might be affixed to thecollar elevator 550 prior to insertion of the collar elevator 550between the layers 513 and 515, or the base 558 might be attached duringa subsequent process, such as prior to or during the lasting process. Inother aspects of this disclosure, other portions of the inner materiallayer 515 might be left detached from the outer material layer 513 topermit placement of the collar elevator 550 therebetween. At least someof these detached portions may then be coupled to the outer materiallayer 513, such as by stitching or adhesive, after placement of thecollar elevator 550.

After the collar elevator 550 has been positioned between the inner andouter material layers 513 and 515, the collar elevator 550 might becoupled to the upper 514 in various manners. Although adhesive orbonding agents are one option, they also have some drawbacks. Forexample, where the collar elevator 550 is free floating between thelayers 513 and 515 prior to coupling, the bonding process may be lessexact and result in inconsistent positioning from one footwear articleto the next. Furthermore, these agents can increase the rigidity of theupper materials or affect the material properties (e.g., breathability,wicking, etc.). Moreover, these agents may be subject to delaminationover time.

In one aspect, the collar elevator of the footwear article 510 isaffixed to the upper 514 by a mechanical coupling near the centerconnecting portion 556, and as indicated in FIG. 5A, some alternativecollar elevators 550A-F are depicted in FIG. 5B. In an aspect of thisdisclosure, the footwear article 510 might include any of the collarelevators 550 and 550A-F, or combinations of the features described withrespect thereto. It should be noted that, in describing the variouscollar elevators 550A-F, the connectors a described as being affixednear the center connecting portion, and in other aspects of thedisclosure, the connectors described in FIG. 5B might be positioned at avariety of different positions along the lever arms between the centerconnecting portion and the base.

In one aspect of the disclosure, the footwear article 510 includes acollar elevator having an aperture positioned in the center connectingportion and extending entirely though a thickness of the centerconnecting portion from an anterior surface (e.g., 561 in FIG. 5A) to aposterior surface (e.g., 563). In addition, the footwear article 510includes a fastener that extends through the aperture and connects tothe inner material layer 515, the outer material layer 513, or both theouter and inner material layers 513 and 515. For example, the fastenermay extend though a respective aperture in each of the outer and innermaterial layers 513 and 515. Examples of collar elevators having anaperture for engaging a fastener are depicted in FIG. 5B as collarelevators 550A-C, and each of these will be described separately in moredetail below. In general, each of the fasteners depicted together withthe collar elevators 550A-C include some form of elongated member (e.g.,thread, stud, tab, and the like) that has a length that is longer than athickness of at least one of the material layers 513 and/or 515, whichcontributes to the elongated member's ability to pass from one side ofthe material layer to the other when operating in a fastening capacity.

Referring now to FIG. 5B, each of the collar elevators 550A-F isdepicted, along with a respective cross-sectional view thatschematically illustrates various coupling configurations of the collarelevator with the upper 514, including the outer material layer 513 andthe inner material layer 515. For example, each cross-sectional viewmight be taken along a longitudinal midline reference plane at thetopline edge of the rear portion of the ankle collar 536 and depicts thecenter connecting portion of each collar elevator. Alternatively, asdescribed in other portions of this disclosure, the connectors depictedin FIG. 5B might connect a lever arm to an upper, and as such, thecross-sectional views might similarly represent configurations of alever arm connected to the outer material layer, inner material layer,or both the outer material layer and the inner material layer.

In one aspect of the disclosure, the footwear article 510 includes acollar elevator 550A having a stitch zone 560A having a strand-receivingaperture 562A. The stitch zone 560A includes a region in which one ormore stitches 564A are applied to the center connecting portion 556A tocouple the center connecting portion 556A to the upper. Furthermore, thestitch zone 560A may include a thinned wall 566A that is easier for aneedle to penetrate when applying the stitches 564A (as compared with athicker wall). The thinned wall may include a recess in the anteriorsurface 561A of the center connecting portion 556A, a recess in theposterior surface 563A of the center connecting portion 556A, or arecess in both the anterior and posterior surfaces 561A and 563A, asdepicted in FIG. 5B. Alternatively, the stitch zone 560A may not includea thinned wall and may include a wall thickness consistent withsurrounding portions of the center connecting portion. In FIG. 5B, thestitch 564A is illustrated as extending through the outer material layer513, the stitch zone 560A, and the inner material layer 515, and thisversion is designated as version “A” in FIG. 5B. In other aspects ofthis disclosure, the stitch might extend through only the inner materiallayer 515 and the stitch zone 560A (see example version “B” in FIG. 5B)or through only the outer material layer 513 and the stitch zone 560A(see example version “C” in FIG. 5B). The strand-receiving aperture 562Amay include a preformed aperture that is constructed into the stitchzone 560A prior to insertion of the collar elevator 550A between theouter and inner material layers 513 and 515. Alternatively, thestrand-receiving aperture 562A may be formed by a needle passing throughthe stitch zone 560A when applying the stitch 564A. As mentioned above,although the stitch zone 560A is illustrated along the center connectionportion of the collar elevator, in other aspects, a lever arm mightinclude a stitch zone through which a stitch is positioned in order toattach the lever arm to the upper.

In another aspect, the footwear article 510 includes the collar elevator550B, which includes a connector-receiving aperture 562B that extendsentirely through a thickness of the center connecting portion 556B fromthe anterior surface 561B to the posterior surface 563B and that isconfigured to receive a connector. For example, the connector may be adiscrete, two-part connector having a first part and a second part thatsnap together, or are otherwise securely fastened to one another. In oneaspect, the two-part connector is a male-female connector having a poston one part having a head that securely fits into a recess of the secondpart. The two parts may be securely fastened to one another in variousmanners, such as by a frictional engagement (e.g., deformable barbs),snap engagement (e.g., stud and socket), threaded engagement, bonding,heat treating, and any and all combinations thereof. An example two-partconnector is depicted in FIG. 5B, including a two-part snap rivet havinga first part 564B and a second part 566B. The connector mightalternatively be a one-piece connector having a base on one end with ashaft that is inserted though the connector-receiving aperture 562B andformed into a cap, such as a blind rivet. In FIG. 5B, the two-partconnector is illustrated as extending through the outer material layer513, the connector-receiving aperture 562B, and the inner material layer515, and this version is designated as version “D”. In other aspects ofthis disclosure, the connector might extend through only the innermaterial layer 515 and the connector-receiving aperture 562B (seeexample version “E” in FIG. 5B) or through only the outer material layer513 and the connector-receiving aperture 562B (see example version “F”in FIG. 5B). For purposes of this disclosure, the two-part connector ofthe collar elevator 550B might be described as “discrete,” which ismeant to convey that the first part of the connector is not integrallyformed with the center connecting portion. “Discrete” might also conveythat the first part of the two-part connector is not fixedly attached toa surface of the center connecting portion in a manner intended toprevent removal without affecting the integrity of the center connectingband or the first part. These discrete connectors are in contrast tothose described below with respect to 550D-F, in which a part of theconnector is pre-joined to a surface of the collar elevator, such as bybeing integrally formed with the collar elevator or being fixedlyattached to a surface of the collar elevator. That is, in 550D-F a firstpart of the connector is pre-joined to the collar elevator prior to beconnected to a second part of the two-part connector. As mentionedabove, although the connector-receiving aperture 562B is illustratedalong the center connection portion of the collar elevator, in otheraspects, a lever arm might include a connector-receiving aperturethrough which a connector is positioned in order to attach the lever armto the upper.

In a further aspect of the disclosure, the footwear article 510 includesthe collar elevator 550C, which includes an tab-receiving aperture 562Cthat extends entirely through a thickness of the center connectingportion 556C from the anterior surface 561C to the posterior surface563C and that is configured to receive a strip of textile materialforming a tab and connected to the upper. For example, the tab may be astrip of textile material that is affixed to the upper at a firstportion, extends through the tab-receiving aperture 562C, and includessome securing element that impedes the strip from being pulled from, orfrom slipping though, the tab-receiving aperture. In one example, thetab may pass though the tab-receiving aperture and be affixed ontoanother portion of the upper at an opposing second portion. An exampletab 564C is depicted in FIG. 5B, including a strip of material extendingfrom the anterior side of the center connecting portion 556, through thetab-receiving aperture 562C, and connected back onto the upper. Forexample, the tab may be stitched on to the upper, welded, tacked,button, snapped, riveted, or otherwise affixed using a coupling afterbeing passed through the tab-receiving aperture 562C. In anotherexample, a distal end of the tab may be coupled with a toggle element,such as a dowel, that is larger than the tab-receiving aperture 562C inat least one dimension and that impedes the strip of material fromdisconnecting from the tab-receiving aperture 562C. FIG. 5B depicts thetab extending from the anterior side of the center connecting portionand being connected to a surface of the upper that faces away from thefoot-receiving cavity, and this version is designated as “G.” In otheraspects, the tab may extend from the posterior side of the centerconnecting portion and connect back onto the upper on a surface facingtowards the foot-receiving cavity (see example version “H” in FIG. 5B).As mentioned above, although the tab-receiving aperture 562C isillustrated along the center connection portion of the collar elevator,in other aspects, a lever arm might include a tab-receiving aperturethrough which a tab or material strip extending from the upper ispositioned in order to attach the lever arm to the upper.

In another aspect of this disclosure, the footwear article 510 includesa collar elevator having a first part of a two-part connector (e.g.,male-female connector) extending from (or located in) the anteriorsurface (e.g., surface 561 in FIG. 5A), the posterior surface (e.g.,surface 563), or both the anterior and posterior surfaces. Examples ofcollar elevators having a first part of a two-part connector aredepicted in FIG. 5B as collar elevators 550D-F, and each of these willbe described in more detail below. As briefly explained above, in thecollar elevators 550D-F, the first part of the connector is pre-joinedto the collar elevator prior to being connected to the second party ofthe two-part connector.

Describing collar elevators 550D-F in general, the first part of thetwo-part connector attaches to a second part of the two-part connectorin order to couple the center connecting portion to the inner and/orouter material layers. For example, the first part, the second part, orboth the first part and the second part may extend through an aperturein the outer and/or inner material layer to connect and form thetwo-part connector and couple the center connecting portion to theupper. This aspect is similar to some of the fasteners described withrespect to collar elevators 550A-C, in which the first part has a lengththat is longer than a thickness of at least one of the material layers513 and/or 515, which contributes to the first parts's ability to passfrom one side of the material layer to the other when operating in afastening capacity. Alternatively, one part of the connector may beaffixed to the center connecting portion, and the other part of theconnector may be affixed to a surface of the upper facing towards thecenter connecting portion, such that the connector does not pass throughan aperture in the upper. The first part of the two-part connector mayattach to the second part of the two-part connector in various manners.For example, the first and second part may frictionally engage oneanother, snap together, threadably attach to one another, clip together,or any and all combinations thereof. Furthermore, the first part of thetwo-part connector may either be integrally formed with the centerconnecting portion or may be a discrete connector part that is fixedlyattached to the center connecting portion, such as by bonding oradhesive, welding, stitching, thermosetting, and the like. Moreover, inaspects in which the second part of the two-part connector is affixed toa surface of the upper facing towards the center connecting portion, thesecond part may be affixed to the surface by various couplings,including bonding or adhesive, welding, stitching, thermosetting, andthe like.

In one aspect of the disclosure, the footwear article 510 includes thecollar elevator 550D (FIG. 5B), which includes a first part 564D of atwo-part connector affixed to an anterior surface 561D of the centerconnecting portion 556D. As described above, the first part 564D may beintegrally formed into the anterior surface 561D, or in another aspectmay be a discrete connector part pre-joined by some other couplingmechanism (e.g., bonding or adhesive, welding, stitching, thermosetting,etc.) to the anterior surface 561D. The first part 564D connects with asecond part 566D of the two-part connector, such as by frictionallyengaging one another, snapping together, threadably attaching to oneanother, clipping together, or any and all combinations thereof. Forexample, the first part 564D may extend through an aperture in the innermaterial layer 515 and connect to the second part 566D on a side of theinner material layer 515 facing away from the center connecting portion556D and towards the foot-receiving cavity 516, and this version isidentified by reference letter “I” in FIG. 5B. In an alternative aspect,the second part 566D may be affixed to a surface 515J of the innermaterial layer 515 facing towards the center connecting portion 556D,and this aspect is identified by reference letter “J” in FIG. 5B. Asmentioned above, although the first part 564D of the two-part connectoris illustrated along the center connection portion of the collarelevator, in other aspects, an anterior side of a lever arm mightinclude a first part 564D of a two-part connector that attaches to asecond part in order to attach the lever arm to the upper.

In another aspect of the disclosure, the footwear article 510 includesthe collar elevator 550E, which includes a first part 564E of a two-partconnector affixed to a posterior surface 563E of the center connectingportion 556E. As described above, the first part 564E may be integrallyformed into the posterior surface 563E, or in another aspect may be adiscrete connector part pre-joined by some other coupling mechanism(e.g., bonding or adhesive, welding, stitching, thermosetting, etc.).The first part 564E connects with a second part 566E of the two-partconnector, such as by frictionally engaging one another, snappingtogether, threadably attaching to one another, clipping together, or anyand all combinations thereof. For example, the first part 564E mayextend through an aperture in the outer material layer 513 and connectto the second part 566E on a side of the outer material layer 513 facingaway from the center connecting portion 556E and away from thefoot-receiving cavity 516, and this version is identified by referenceletter “K” in FIG. 5B. In an alternative aspect, the second part 566Emay be affixed to a surface 513L of the outer material layer 513 facingtowards the center connecting portion 556E, and this aspect isidentified by reference letter “L” in FIG. 5B. As mentioned above,although the first part 564E of the two-part connector is illustratedalong the center connection portion of the collar elevator, in otheraspects, a posterior side of a lever arm might include a first part 564Eof a two-part connector that attaches to a second part in order toattach the lever arm to the upper.

In a further aspect of the disclosure, the footwear article 510 includesthe collar elevator 550F, which includes portions of a first two-partconnector and a second two-part connector. The first two-part connectorincludes a first part 564F affixed to a posterior surface 563F of thecenter connecting portion 556F, and the second two-part connectorincludes a first part 568F affixed to an anterior surface 561F of thecenter connecting portion 556F. As described above, the first parts 564Fand 568F may be integrally formed into the posterior and anteriorsurfaces 563F and 561F, or in another aspect may be a discrete connectorpart pre-joined by some other coupling mechanism (e.g., bonding oradhesive, welding, stitching, thermosetting, etc.). The first part 564Fconnects with a second part 566F of the two-part connector, and thefirst part 568F connects with a second part 570F of the two-partconnector (e.g., the first parts may connect to respective second partsby frictionally engaging one another, snapping together, threadablyattaching to one another, clipping together, or any and all combinationsthereof.) For example, the first parts 564F and 568F may extend throughrespective aperture in the outer and inner material layers 513 and 515and connect to the second parts 566F and 570F on a side of the outer andinner material layers 513 and 515 facing away from the center connectingportion 556F, and this version is identified by reference letter “M” inFIG. 5B. In an alternative aspect, the second parts 566F and 570F may beaffixed to surfaces of the outer and inner material layers 513 and 515facing towards the center connecting portion 556F, and this aspect isidentified by reference letter “N” in FIG. 5B. Although not explicitlyillustrated in FIG. 5B, other aspects may include a combination ofversions “M” and “N”. For example, the first part 564F may extendthrough an aperture in the outer material layer 513 to connect to thesecond part 566F, and the other first part 568F may connect to thesecond part 570F on the surface of the inner material layer 515 facingtowards the center connecting portion 556F. Alternatively, the firstpart 568F may extend through an aperture in the inner material layer 515to connect to the second part 570F, and the other first part 564F mayconnect to the second part 566F on the surface of the outer materiallayer 513 facing towards the center connecting portion 556F. Asmentioned above, although the first parts 564F and 568F are illustratedalong the center connection portion of the collar elevator, in otheraspects, an anterior and posterior side of a lever arm might includefirst parts in order to attach the lever arm to the upper.

Having described some alternative collar elevators with variousconnections to the upper, reference is now made back to FIG. 5A todescribe additional aspects of the disclosure. As previously described,the collar elevator 550 or 550A-F is inserted between the outer materiallayer 513 and the inner material layer 515. At that time, the collarelevator 550 or 550A-F may be coupled to the upper using one or more ofthe couplings describe in the previous portions of this disclosure. Inaddition, as previously described, the base 558 may have already beenattached to the collar elevator 550 or 550A-F (such as when the base 558is integrally formed with the lever arms), or in some aspects, the base558 may be attached to the collar elevator 550 or 550A-F after thecollar elevator 550 or 550A-F is attached to the upper. In a furtheraspect, the base 558 is affixed to a sole insert 519, which includes apaper board, cardboard, paper fiber board, or the like. For example, thesole insert 519 may be bonded or adhered to a bottom surface 557 of thebase 558 (i.e., the surface facing away from the foot-receiving cavity516 and towards the sole 512). In one aspect, the coupling to the soleinsert 519 impedes the base from lifting when the heel collar is movedfrom a raised state to a lowered stated.

In a further aspect, the upper 514 includes a skirt 508 positioned at alower perimeter edge of the upper 514. The skirt 508 may be a continuousportion of the outer material layer 513 that includes the extendedlength of the skirt 508. Alternatively, the skirt 508 may be a strip ofdiscrete material, such as a low stretch, non-woven material, affixedaround a lower perimeter edge of the outer material layer 513. In afurther aspect, while the upper 514 is lasted with the collar elevator550 or 550A-F in position between the layers 513 and 515 and the base558 and sole insert 519 in position, the skirt 508 is pulled down andcoupled to a bottom surface 521 of the sole insert 519. As such, in someaspects, the sole insert 519 may also be referred to as a lasting board.Among other things, this attachment of the skirt 508 to the bottomsurface 521 of the sole insert 519 helps form the shape of the upper 514around the last, and in the heel portion of the skirt 508, attachment tothe bottom surface 521 may help to load the collar elevator in apre-tensed state. Once the skirt 508 is bonded to the bottom surface 521of the sole insert 519, the sole 512 can be coupled to the skirt 508 andthe sole insert 519, and this might be done while the upper is still onthe last.

FIGS. 5A and 5B depict one aspect in which one or more structures, suchas the skirt 508 and the sole insert 519, are positioned between thebase 558 and the sole 512. In an alternative aspect, the base might bepositioned differently than the depiction in FIG. 5A. For example, thebase might be positioned below a strobel, and reference is now made toFIG. 6A to describe other aspects of this disclosure. FIG. 6A depicts anillustration of a footwear article 610 that is partially deconstructed.That is, an upper 614 is connected to a strobel 608, which is decoupledfrom a collar elevator 650 and a base 658 (ghosted in broken lines toenhance visibility of the lever arms), which is decoupled from a sole612. The footwear article 610 is different from the footwear article 510in that the base 658 is positioned below the strobel 608 when thefootwear article 610 is constructed. That is, the base 658 is positionedbetween the strobel 608 and the sole 612 when the footwear article 610is constructed. For example, referring briefly to FIG. 6B, across-sectional view is presented showing relative positions of astrobel 608 and a base 658, once the footwear article 610 is in acoupled state.

The upper 614 further includes a biteline 623 representing anapproximate position of a topline edge 609 of the sole 612, when thesole 612 is connected to the upper 614. In addition, the upper 614includes the strobel 608, which is coupled to one or more of thematerial layers of the upper 614, and reference numeral 625 identifies aline along which a strobel stitch or other coupling might be positioned.The strobel 608 is depicted as a continuous panel that entirely closesthe bottom portion of the upper 614. In other aspects, the strobel 608may not be a continuous piece and/or may not close the entire bottomportion, such as a split strobel or a half strobel.

Furthermore, the upper 614 includes an aperture 627 extending entirelythough a first material layer 613 of the upper 614 (i.e., entirely froma first surface facing away from the foot-receiving cavity to a secondsurface facing towards the foot-receiving cavity), and the aperture 627provides an opening to a lever-arm region 651 positioned between thefirst material layer 613 and a more interior second material layer 615.Stated differently, the first material layer 613 might have a thicknesswith an outward facing surface that faces away from a foot-receivingcavity and/or towards a sole and with an inward facing surface thatfaces towards the foot-receiving aperture—the thickness being betweenthe outward facing surface and the inward facing surface. In thatinstance, the aperture 627 extends through material layer from theoutward facing surface to the inward facing surface. An aperture mightinclude various structures. For instance, an aperture might include aslit formed along an edge of the first material layer or a hole formedthough the first material layer (e.g., die-cut, punched, punctured,etc.). In other instances, an aperture might include anintegrally-formed hole that is constructed by yarn or fiber manipulationin the formation of the first material layer (e.g., knit in, woven in,braided in, etc.). An aperture might have various sizes, measure alongat least a portion of a perimeter edge of the aperture (e.g., length,width, circumference, area, etc.,) and in some instances, the sizeincludes a relationship to a collar elevator. For example, an aperturemight include a dimension that is at least as big as a portion of alever arm, in order to permit the lever arm to be positioned in theaperture.

Although obscured from view in FIG. 6A, in FIG. 6B the footwear article610 includes another aperture 631 on the opposing side of the upper thatprovides an opening to another lever-arm region 653. Generally, if thebase 658 is positioned below the strobel 608 (i.e., between the strobel608 and the sole 612), then a lever arm 652 connected to the base 658 ata junction 659 can extend from the junction 659 through the aperture 627and into the lever-arm region 651. Again, the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 6B depicts the lever arm 652 extending from the junction 659 withthe base 658, through the aperture 627, and into the lever-arm region651. FIG. 6B also depicts the lever arm 654 extending from the base 658,through the aperture 631, and into the lever-arm region 653. Asdescribed in other aspects of this disclosure, the connection of thelever arms 652 and 654 to the base 658 at the respective junction (e.g.,659) may include an anchor, such as a frictional-fit coupling, or thelever arms 652 and 654 may be integrally formed with the base 658.

FIGS. 6A and 6B depict examples of some elements of this disclosure, andthere are various alternative aspects. For example, the first materiallayer 613 and the second material layer 615 may include variousconfigurations. Generally, respective to one another, the first materiallayer 613 is an outer material layer and the second material layer 615is an inner material layer, and FIGS. 7A-7C depict alternativeconfigurations taken along the reference line 7-7 in FIG. 6A.

In one aspect, the inner material layer 615 may be a liner that extendsthroughout most of the heel and ankle regions of the upper and that iscoupled to the outer material layer 613 at various positions. Forexample, as depicted in the cross sectional view of FIG. 7A, the innermaterial layer 715A extends from near the topline edge of the anklecollar to near the strobel stitch 725A, and the inner and outer materiallayers 713A and 715A are not directly connected to one another in thelever-arm region 751A.

In another aspect depicted by FIG. 7B, the inner material layer 715B maybe a liner that extends only along select portions of the inward-facingsurface of the outer material layer 713B, such as along the lever-armregion 751B, in order to form an encasement for the lever arm. Forexample, as depicted in the cross sectional view of FIG. 7B, the innermaterial layer 715B includes a superior edge that is below the anklecollar, and the inner and outer material layers 713B and 715B are notdirectly connected to one another along the lever-arm region 751B.Alternatively, the outer material layer might include a smaller panel(relative to the inner material layer) that overlies only a portion ofthe inner material layer and that extends along a region aligned withthe collar elevator to form an outer wall of an encasement, textilesheath, or channel for the lever arms 552 and 554.

In a further aspect, the inner and outer material layers may include aknit-in, lever-arm channel, as depicted in FIG. 7C. For example, theouter material layer 713C and the inner material layer 715C may eachinclude a knit layer integrally formed with one another and detachedalong the lever-arm region 751C.

In FIGS. 6A and 6B, the footwear article 610 includes the apertures 627and 631 positioned below the biteline. As such, the portion of the leverarms that is between the junction with the base and the aperture remainshidden behind a sidewall of the sole 612. In another embodiment, theapertures 627 and 631 might be positioned above the topline edge of thesole 612, such that at least a portion of the lever arms might beexposed before entering the lever-arm regions between the materiallayers. For example, referring to FIG. 8, an alternative aspect isillustrated, including a footwear article 610B having apertures 627B and631B positioned above the topline edge 609B of the sole 612B. As such,the lever arms 652B and 654B are exposed on an outside surface prior toentering into a space 651B and 653B between the first material layer613D and the second material layer 615D.

Referring back to FIGS. 6A and 6B, once the lever arms 652 and 654 areinserted into respective apertures 627 and 631, then the lever arms 652and 654 may be coupled to the upper 614 in various manners. For example,in one aspect the outer and inner material layers 613 and 615 may beaffixed together, such as by stitching, adhesive, welding, and the like,in such a manner to create a lever-arm channel having a size, shape, andvolume configured to form fit with the lever arms. In FIG. 6A, the leverarms 652 and 654 generally taper from the junction with the base 658 toa distal end, and as such, each lever-arm channel might similarly taperfrom the aperture (e.g., 627 and 631) to a distal end. In one aspect,the fit between the lever arms and the lever-arm channel is sufficienttransfer forces between the collar elevator and the upper when the anklecollar is moved between the raised and lowered states.

In other aspects, the lever arms 652 and 654 might attach to the upperby way of one or more of the connectors described with respect to FIG.5B. That is, each lever arm 652 and 654 might include an aperturethrough which a connector extends, including a stitch, a discretetwo-part connector, or a textile tab. Alternatively, each lever arm 652and 654 might include a pre-joined, first part of a two-part connector,which attaches to a second part of the two-part on the outside or insidesurface of the outer and/or inner material layers.

FIG. 6A depicts one aspect in which the footwear article 610 includestwo lever arms 652 and 654, each of which terminates prior to extendingaround the back of the ankle region 626. Referring to FIG. 9A, in analternative aspect, the footwear article 610 includes a collar elevator950 having a first lever arm 952 and a second lever arm 954 and eachlever arm 952 and 954 extends around at least a portion of the rear ofthe ankle region (i.e., at least to the longitudinal midline referenceplane). As such, the lever arms 952 and 954 at least partially overlapwith one another. In FIG. 9A, the lever arms 952 and 954 are depicted ina curved configuration, as they might appear when the collar is in araised state, but prior to insertion into the apertures 627 and 631 thelever arms might be straight to allow for smoother insertion. In thatcase, the flexibility of the lever arms 952 and 954 may allow the leverarms 952 and 954 to be guided into the configuration depicted in FIG. 9Aby the lever arm channel(s) that communicate with the apertures 627 and631. The collar elevator 950 may be affixed to the upper 610 by any ofthe above described connectors, including a form-fit channel, stitching,discrete two-part connector(s), a connector having one part pre-joinedto the collar elevator, and any and all combinations thereof. The firstand second lever arms 952 and 954 might be integrally formed with thebase 958 or might be formed as discrete elements that are affixed to thebase 958 using one or more anchors.

In FIGS. 6A and 9A, the collar elevators include a first lever arm and asecond lever arm. Referring now to FIGS. 9B-9D, alternative aspects aredepicted in which the collar elevator of the footwear article 610 mightinclude a single lever arm 952B-D. For example, with the single leverarm 952B-D affixed to the base 958B-D, the single lever arm may bepositioned in the aperture 627 or in the aperture 631 and extend tovarious positions in the heel and/or ankle regions, depending on alength of the lever arm. The lever arm 952B includes a length configuredto arrange the lever arm only on the medial side or only on the lateralside of the footwear article 610. For example, if the aperture 627 is onthe medial side, then the lever arm 952B would extend from the base958B, though the aperture 627, and to a terminal endpoint that is medialrelative to a longitudinal midline reference plane. Alternatively, ifthe aperture 627 is on the lateral side, then the lever arm 952B wouldextend from the base 958B, though the aperture 627, and to a terminalendpoint that is lateral relative to a longitudinal midline referenceplane.

Referring to FIG. 9C, the lever arm 952C is longer than the lever arm952B, and if the aperture 627 is on the medial side, then the lever arm952C would extend from the base 958C, though the aperture 627, and to aterminal endpoint that is lateral relative to a longitudinal midlinereference plane. Alternatively, if the aperture 627 is on the lateralside, then the lever arm 952C would extend from the base 958C, thoughthe aperture 627, and to a terminal endpoint that is medial relative toa longitudinal midline reference plane. Referring to FIG. 9D, the leverarm 952D is longer than the lever arm 952C, and if the aperture 627 ison the medial side, then the lever arm 952D would extend from the base958D, though the aperture 627, around the rear of the ankle region, andpossibly through the aperture 631 on the opposing, lateral side of theupper. Alternatively, if the aperture 627 is on the lateral side, thenthe lever arm 952D would extend from the base 958C, though the aperture627, around the rear of the ankle region, and possibly through theaperture 631 on the opposing, medial side of the upper.

Once the lever arms 952B-D are positioned within the upper, the leverarms 952B-D may be coupled to the upper 614 in various manners. Forexample, in one aspect the outer and inner material layers may beaffixed together, such as by stitching, adhesive, welding, and the like,in such a manner to create a lever-arm channel having a size, shape, andvolume configured to form fit with the lever arms. In FIGS. 9B-D, thelever arms 952B-D generally taper from the junction with the base to adistal end, and as such, each lever-arm channel might similarly taperfrom the aperture to a distal end. In one aspect, the fit between thelever arms and the lever-arm channel is sufficient transfer forcesbetween the collar elevator and the upper when the ankle collar is movedbetween the raised and lowered states.

In other aspects, the lever arms 952B-D might attach to the upper by wayof one or more of the connectors described with respect to FIG. 5B. Thatis, each lever arm 952B-D might include an aperture through which aconnector extends, including a stitch, a discrete two-part connector, ora textile tab. Alternatively, each lever arm 952B-D might include apre-joined, first part of a two-part connector, which attaches to asecond part of the two-part on the outside or inside surface of theouter and/or inner material layers.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the collar elevators 550and 550A-F might be inserted into the upper 610 in such a manner thatthe lever arms are positioned in the apertures 627 and 631. As such, inthese aspects, the base 558 would be positioned below the strobel 608.

Several different aspects included above in this disclosure havedescribed a variety of different collar elevators having a basepositioned below strobel. This structuring and configuration mightcontribute to various advantages in certain contexts. For example,arranging the base below the strobel may reduce the need for a soleinsert, and may provide a configuration suitable for strobel lasting. Insome instances, the sole insert may provide unwanted rigidity underneaththe foot, and in that case, the strobel is often a less rigid solution.In addition, strobel lasting may be more efficient than board lastingfrom a manufacturing perspective, in some situations, since boardlasting includes a step for pulling down the skirt and affixing to abottom surface of the sole insert. Furthermore, by omitting the soleinsert, the base may be positioned directly on top of the sole, such ason the midsole, which may provide an opportunity for the base to connectto, or be anchored in, the sole.

Referring now to FIGS. 10A-10C, various soles 1012A-C are depicted thatmight be included in the footwear article 610 and that might be combinedwith any of the previously described collar elevators 550, 550A-F, 650,950, and 950B-D. For example, FIG. 10A depicts a sole 1012A having asuperior surface 1006A that, when included in the footwear article 610,faces towards the base and towards the foot-receiving cavity 618. Adashed line in FIG. 10A represents a base-attachment zone illustratingan approximate position at which a base might be attached to thesuperior surface 1006A. As indicated in other portions of thisdisclosure, the superior surface 1006A might be attached to the baseprior to the base either before or after the base is attached to thecollar elevator and coupled to the upper. The superior surface 1006Aincludes a base-target region 1004A enclosed within the base-attachmentzone and a perimeter region 1003A around the base-target region 1004A.In an aspect of the disclosure, the superior surface 1006A smoothlytransitions from the base-target region 1004A to the perimeter region1003A. Stated another way, a portion of the base-target region 1004A anda portion of the perimeter region 1003A that are directly adjacent toone another extend in a substantially same plane. Stated yet anotherway, the base-target region 1004A is not recessed or raised relative tothe perimeter region 1003A. The size and shape of the base andbase-target region 1004A are merely one example, and in other aspects,the size and shape may be customized to fit the shape of the sole 1012A.For example, the size of the base may be customized to substantiallyfill out the width of the surface 1006A, as well as the heelward depth,and filling out these portions of the upper may avoid hot spots orirritation points in the footbed. Furthermore, a thickness of the basemay gradually taper as the base extends towards its anterior edge inorder to smoothly transition to the surface 1006A.

Referring to FIG. 10B, another sole 1012B is illustrated, and the sole1012B includes a base-docking recess 1004B included in the superiorsurface 1006B. The base-docking recess 1004B includes a depth extendingfrom a floor 1011B of the recess up to the perimeter region 1003B. In anaspect of the disclosure the depth of the base-docking recess 1004 issubstantially similar to a thickness of the base, which is measured froma base bottom surface facing towards the sole to a base top surfacefacing towards the foot-receiving cavity, and an example of basethickness 690 is depicted in FIG. 6A. As such, when the base is affixedin the base-docking recess 1004B, the base top surface is substantiallyflush with the perimeter region 1003B of the surface 1006B. For example,the base may be bonded, adhered, welded, thermoset, or co-molded intothe base-docking recess 1004B. Among other things, a similar basethickness and recess depth may reduce the presence of potentialirritation spots in the footbed. In addition, the base size and shape ismore customizable, since it the sides and back of the upper may not needto be filled out. Furthermore, the walls of the base-docking recess1004B may help maintain a position of the base by impeding the base fromrotating relative to the sole 1012B. More specifically, in one aspect aperimeter edge of a bottom surface of the base forms a 2D shape that issubstantially similar to a 2D shape formed by a perimeter edge of afloor 1011B of the base-docking recess. For example, in FIG. 10B theperimeter edge of the floor 1011B of the base-docking recess 1004Bincludes a 2D shape that is rectangular, and the bottom-surfaceperimeter edge of any of the other collar elevators described in thisdisclosure may include a substantially similar rectangular 2D shape. Inthis sense, the perimeter edge of the floor and the perimeter edge ofthe base bottom surface may cooperate in a lock-and-key typerelationship to help reduce or impede rotation of the base when nestedin the base-docking recess. Moreover, a consistent base size and shapemay be usable across different shaped soles, provided a correspondingbase-docking recess 1004B is included in the various different soles.

Referring now to FIGS. 10C and 10D, in another aspect the footweararticle 610 includes the sole 1012C. The sole 1012C is similar to thesole 1012B, since the sole 1012C also includes a base-docking recess1004C. The base-docking recess 1004C may also have a floor with aperimeter edge that forms a 2D shape substantially similar to theperimeter edge of the bottom surface of the base. However, the sole1012C also includes a base-retention tab 1002C, which fits on top of thebase once the base has been positioned in the base-docking recess 1004C.The base-retention tab 1002C may include various elements. For example,in one aspect, the base-retention tab 1002C includes a thickness 1001C(see e.g., FIG. 10D) that, when combined with the thickness of the base(e.g., thickness 690 in FIG. 6A), is substantially similar to a depth1005C of the base-docking recess 1004C. In addition, the tab 1002Cincludes a medial-to-lateral width 1001C′ that is shorter than amedial-to-lateral width 1005C′ of the base-docking recess 1004C. Assuch, a gap 1007C is formed between the medial and lateral sides of thetab 1002C and the medial and lateral sides of the base-docking recess1004C. The gaps provide a fit feature, which allows the lever arms toextend unimpeded out of the base-docking recess 1004C when the base isaffixed therein. In addition, the gap allows the tab 1002C to fit flushagainst the top surface of the base without potential interference fromthe lever arms.

The tab 1002C may operate in various manners. For example, in oneaspect, the tab 1002C provides an additional securing element to retainthe base within the base-docking recess 1004C. In addition, the tab1002C may provide some amount of cushioning over the base, which maysometimes be a more rigid material. Furthermore, the tab 1002C mayoperate to hold the anterior edge of the base down when the ankle collaris pushed into a lowered state, which in turn creates tension in thecollar elevator. In this sense, the tab 1002C may have a variety oflengths that are operational to help hold the anterior edge of the basedown. In FIG. 10C, the tab 1002C includes a length 1009C measured froman anterior joint between the tab and the rest of the sole to aposterior, free edge of the tab 1002C. In addition, the base includes abase length (e.g., length 692 in FIG. 6A) extending from a front edge ofthe base to a rear edge of the base, and as described above, the baselength may be substantially similar to the length of the base-dockingrecess 1004C. In one aspect, the tab length is equal to or less than thebase length. In another aspect, the tab length is equal to or less than75% of the base length. In a further aspect, the tab length is equal toor less than 50% of the base length. Additionally, the tab length may beequal to or less than 25% of the base length. Moreover, the tab lengthmight be equal to or less than 10% of the base length, and still operateto impede the anterior edge of the base from lifting when the anklecollar is moved to a lowered state. As explained with respect to thesole 1012B, the base may be affixed in the base-docking recess 1004C invarious manners. For example, the base may be bonded, adhered, welded,thermoset, co-molded, or any combination thereof, into the base-dockingrecess 1004C, or the sole 1012C might be overmolded around the base withthe lever arms extending through the gaps.

Referring now to FIGS. 11A and 11B, another aspect is illustrated thatmight be included in one or both footwear articles 510 and 610. In FIGS.11A and 11B, a portion of a footwear article 1110 is depicted and thefootwear article 1110 includes a sole 1112 and an upper 1114 coupled tothe sole 1112 and comprising an ankle collar 1136 that is movablebetween a lowered state (i.e., FIG. 11B) positioned closer to the sole1112 and a raised state (i.e., FIG. 11A) positioned farther from thesole. In addition, the footwear article 1110 includes a collar elevator1150 operable to return the ankle collar 1136 from the lowered state tothe raised state. The collar elevator 1150 includes a base 1158 thatmight be layered above a strobel or sole insert (such as in FIG. 5A), orbelow a strobel (such as in FIG. 6A). In addition, the collar elevatormight include any of the collar elevators 550, 550A-F, 650, 950, or950B-D.

In a further aspect, the collar elevator 1150 includes a lever arm 1152that flexes rearwardly, downwardly, or both rearwardly and downwardly asthe ankle collar 1136 is moved from the raised state to the loweredstate. Various attributes might contribute to the manner in which thelever arm 1152 flexes, such as the cross section(s) of the lever arm,sizes of the lever arm, shape(s) of the lever arm, recesses or notchesin the lever arm, and the like. In some instances, the downward forcecausing the ankle collar 1136 to move to a lowered state may bedistributed fairly evenly along the length of the lever arm, and assuch, the lever arm may adjust rearwardly and/or downwardly in arelatively linear and consistent manner. Stated another way, the portionof the collar elevator 1150 that is most distal 1180 from the base 1158might adjust, move, or flex a largest distance; the portion of thecollar elevator closest to the base 1158 might adjust, move, or flex ashortest distance; and the distances moved by portions of the collarelevator 1150 between the base 1158 and the distal end 1180 graduallyand consistently increase in a linear manner from the base to the distalend 1180.

Alternatively, the lever arm 1152 may include one or more deflectionpoints that separate a more superior segment of the lever arm from amore inferior portion of the lever arm, the more inferior portion beingcloser to the base (as measured along the length of the lever arm). Theone or more deflection points represent a position at which the superiorsegment adjusts exponentially more than the inferior segment when theankle collar is moved from the raised state to the lowered state. Forexample, the deflection point may include a position at which the leverarm hinges or pivots to permit the superior segment to adjust downwardlyat a faster rate that the inferior portion, when the ankle collar 1136is moved from the raised state to the lowered state. A deflection pointmay be detected or identified under various circumstances. For example,in one aspect the ankle collar may be moved from a first state having afirst distance from the sole to a second state having a second distancefrom the sole, the second distance being shorter than the firstdistance, and the deflection point may be portion of the lever arm atwhich the lever arm bends or folds to a greater extent than one or moreother portions of the lever arm. The second distance may be less than orequal to 25% of the first distance, less than or equal to 50% of thefirst distance, or less than or equal to 75 percent of the firstdistance.

Referring to FIG. 11B, the lever arm 1152 includes a deflection point1170 positioned between a superior segment 1172 of the lever arm and aninferior segment 1174 of the lever arm, the inferior segment 1174 beingcloser to the base 1158 that the deflection point 1170 or the superiorsegment 1172 (as measured along the length of the lever arm). In oneaspect, footwear article 1110 includes a distance 1176 (FIG. 11A)between the deflection point 1170 and a horizontal reference plane 1190,which generally includes the plane of a relatively flat ground surfaceon which the ground-contacting surface rests with the footwear article1110 being stationary, in an at-rest state. Various elements maycontribute to a position of the deflection point 1170. For example, thedeflection point may include a thinner cross section or a notch. Inaddition, the attachment of the collar elevator 1150 to the upper 1114might limit rearward travel, which could cause the lever arm to bendmore at the deflection point when moved from the raised state to thelowered state.

With continued reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B, the ankle collar 1136includes a topline edge having an inferior-most portion 1137 that isanterior to the deflection point 1170 (i.e., closer to the forefoot ofthe footwear article 1110). In addition, the footwear article 1110includes a height 1178 between the inferior-most portion 1137 and thehorizontal reference plane 1190. In an aspect of this disclosure, theheight 1178 is less than the distance 1176. Among other things, theshorter height of the inferior-most portion 1137 of the ankle collar1136, together with the anterior positioning (relative to the deflectionpoint 1170) acts as a hinge or pivot point for the rear portions of theankle region 1126. As such, the rear portions of the ankle collar 1136may pull to a lesser extent on the more forward portions of the anklecollar 1136 when the ankle collar 1136 is moved to a lowered state (ascompared to other footwear articles having a higher ankle collar). Inaddition, this alternative configuration may allow for smaller goringelements, gussets, or elastic panels, to be used along the ankle collar1136, or may be utilized in lieu of any goring element, gusset, orelastic panel.

The side depicted in FIGS. 11A and 11B might be the medial side or thelateral side, and the other side of the footwear article 1110 mayinclude similar features. However, in some aspects, the opposing sidethat is obstructed from view in FIGS. 11A and 11B might also not includecorresponding features, such as where the opposing side does notincludes a corresponding lever arm (e.g., collar elevators 950B and950C).

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which would be realized by an ordinaryskilled artisan and which are inherent to the structure. It will beunderstood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility andmay be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations.This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. Sincemany possible aspects may be made of the invention without departingfrom the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter hereinset forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Some aspects of this disclosure have been described with respect to theexamples provided in the figures. Additional aspects of the disclosurewill now be described that may be related subject matter included in oneor more claims or clauses of this application at the time of filing, orone or more related applications, but the claims or clauses are notlimited to only the subject matter described in the below portions ofthis description. These additional aspects may include featuresillustrated by the figures, features not illustrated by the figures, andany combination thereof. When describing these additional aspects,reference may be made to elements depicted by the figures forillustrative purposes.

The following clauses are aspects contemplated herein. The listing ismerely specific examples and is not limiting to the scope of the currentSpecification. Instead, the following clauses are intended to provideguidance as to some of the contemplated aspects herein. As used herein,and in connection with the clauses listed hereinafter, the terminology“any of clauses” or similar variations of said terminology is intendedto be interpreted such that features of clauses may be combined in anycombination. For instance, interpretation of the phrase “the footweararticle of clause x-y” as used hereinafter should be interpreted as thefootwear article of any one or combination of clause x through clause y,where x and y are numerical clauses. That is, an exemplary clause 4 mayindicate the method/apparatus of any of clauses 1 through 3, which isintended to be interpreted such that features of clause 1 and clause 4may be combined; elements of clause 2 and clause 4 may be combined;elements of clause 3 and 4 may be combined; elements of clauses 1, 2,and 4 may be combined; elements of clauses 2, 3, and 4 may be combined;elements of clauses 1, 2, 3, and 4 may be combined; and/or othervariations. Further, the terminology “any of clauses” or similarvariations of said terminology is intended to include “any one ofclauses” or other variations of such terminology, as indicated by someof the examples provided above.

Clause 1: A footwear article comprising: a sole; an upper coupled to thesole and comprising an ankle collar that is movable between a loweredstate positioned closer to the sole and a raised state positionedfarther from the sole, wherein the upper comprises a material layer thatat least partially overlaps with the sole and that includes an outwardfacing surface facing towards the sole and an inward facing surfacefacing away from the sole and towards a foot-receiving cavity, andwherein the material layer comprises an aperture extending throughmaterial layer from the outward facing surface to the inward facingsurface; and a collar elevator operable to return the ankle collar fromthe lowered state to the raised state, the collar elevator having a basepositioned between the outward facing surface and the sole and a leverarm connected to the base at a junction and extending from the junctionthrough the aperture.

Clause 2: The footwear article of clause 1, wherein the material layerthat at least partially overlaps with the sole is a portion of an outermaterial layer of the upper; wherein the upper further comprises aninner material layer that is closer to the foot-receiving cavity thanthe outer material layer; and wherein the lever arm is positionedbetween the outer material layer and the inner material layer after thelever arm extends from the junction and through the aperture.

Clause 3. The footwear article of clause 2, wherein the inner materiallayer is an inner liner.

Clause 4. The footwear article of clause 2, wherein the inner materiallayer and the outer material layer are opposing sides of a lever-armtubular encasement that houses the lever arm.

Clause 5. The footwear article of clause 4, wherein the inner materiallayer and the outer material layer are knit layers, and wherein thelever-arm tubular encasement is integrally knit.

Clause 6. The footwear article of any of clauses 1-5, wherein theaperture is on a medial side of the upper.

Clause 7. The footwear article of clause 6, wherein at least a portionof the aperture is below a biteline, which includes an interface betweena topline edge of the sole and the upper.

Clause 8. The footwear article of clause 6, wherein at least a portionof the aperture is above a biteline, which includes an interface betweena topline edge of the sole and the upper.

Clause 9. The footwear article of any of clauses 1-8, wherein the leverarm extends upwards from the base, through the aperture, and towards arear of an ankle region of the upper.

Clause 10. The footwear article of clause 9, wherein the lever armterminates on the medial side of the upper and at a terminal endopposite the base.

Clause 11. The footwear article of clause 9, wherein the lever arm wrapsaround the rear of the ankle region of the upper and terminates on alateral side of the upper at a terminal end opposite the base.

Clause 12. The footwear article of any of clauses 1-11, wherein theaperture is a medial-side aperture and the lever arm is a medial-sidelever arm, and wherein the footwear article further comprises: alateral-side aperture extending through the material layer on a lateralside of the upper; and a lateral-side lever arm connected to the base atanother junction and extending from the other junction through thelateral-side aperture.

Clause 13. The footwear article of clause 12, wherein at least a portionof the medial-side aperture and at least a portion of the lateral-sideaperture are below a biteline, which includes an interface between atopline edge of the sole and the upper.

Clause 14. The footwear article of clause 12, wherein at least a portionof the medial-side aperture and at least a portion of the lateral-sideaperture are above a biteline, which includes an interface between atopline edge of the sole and the upper.

Clause 15. The footwear article of clause 12, wherein the medial-sidelever arm and the lateral-side lever arm both extend upwards from thebase, through a respective aperture, and towards a rear of an ankleregion of the upper.

Clause 16. The footwear article of clause 15, wherein the medial-sidelever arm terminates on the medial side of the upper at a terminal endopposite the base, and wherein the lateral-side lever arm terminates onthe lateral side of the upper at a terminal end opposite the base.

Clause 17. The footwear article of clause 15, wherein the medial-sidelever arm and the lateral-side lever arm are coupled to one another inthe rear of the ankle region.

Clause 18. The footwear article of clause 17, wherein the medial-sidelever arm and the lateral-side lever arm are connected to one another bya center connecting portion, which is positioned in the rear of theankle region.

Clause 19. The footwear article of clause 17, wherein the medial-sidelever arm, the lateral-side lever arm, and the center connecting portionare continuous.

Clause 20. The footwear article of clause 17, wherein the medial-sidelever arm and the lateral-side lever arm overlap with one another in therear of the ankle region.

Clause 21. The footwear article of clause 17, wherein the medial-sidelever arm and the lateral-side lever arm are coupled to the upper in therear portion of the ankle region.

Clause 22. The footwear article of any of clauses 1-5, wherein theaperture is on a lateral side of the upper.

Clause 23. The footwear article of clause 22, wherein the lever armextends upwards from the base, through the aperture, and towards a rearof an ankle region of the upper.

Clause 24. The footwear article of clause 23, wherein the lever armterminates on the lateral side of the upper and at a terminal endopposite the base.

Clause 25. The footwear article of clause 23, wherein the lever armwraps around the rear of the ankle region of the upper and terminates ona medial side of the upper at a terminal end opposite the base.

Clause 26. A footwear article comprising: a sole; an upper coupled tothe sole and comprising an ankle collar that is movable between alowered state positioned closer to the sole and a raised statepositioned farther from the sole; a collar elevator operable to returnthe ankle collar from the lowered state to the raised state, the collarelevator comprising a base and at least one lever arm, wherein the baseis positioned below a strobel, such that the base is positioned betweenthe strobel and the sole and includes a top surface facing towards thestrobel; and a base-docking recess included in a top surface of the solefacing towards the base of the collar elevator, wherein the base ispositioned in the base-docking recess.

Clause 27. The footwear article of clause 26, wherein the sole includesa tab that at least partially covers the top surface of the basepositioned in the base-docking recess.

Clause 28. The footwear article of clause 27, wherein the tab includes atab width in the medial-to-lateral direction and the recess includes arecess width in the medial-to-lateral direction; wherein the tab widthis less than the recess width, such that a medial edge and lateral edgeof the tab are spaced inward of a medial edge and lateral edge of therecess; and wherein the at least one lever arm is positioned between themedial edge of the tab and the medial edge of the recess or between thelateral edge of the tab and the lateral edge of the recess.

Clause 29. The footwear article of clause 28, wherein the at least onelever arm extends from a junction with the base, between the medialedges or between the lateral edges, and through an aperture in amaterial layer of the upper to a position that is between the materiallayer and a foot-receiving cavity.

Clause 30. The footwear article of clause 28, wherein the at least onelever arm extends from a junction with the base, between the medialedges or between the lateral edges, and along an outward facing surfaceof a material layer of the upper.

Clause 31. The footwear article of any of clauses 27-30, wherein the tabincludes a tab length measured from a front edge of the tab to a rearedge of the tab; wherein the base includes a base length extending froma front edge of the base to a rear edge of the base; and wherein the tablength is equal to or less than the base length.

Clause 32. The footwear article of clause 29, wherein the tab length isequal to or less than 75% of the base length.

Clause 33. The footwear article of clause 30, wherein the tab length isequal to or less than 50% of the base length.

Clause 34. The footwear article of clause 31, wherein the tab length isequal to or less than 25% of the base length.

Clause 35. The footwear article of clause 32, wherein the tab length isequal to or less than 10% of the base length.

Clause 36. The footwear article of any of clauses 27-35, wherein acombination of a thickness of the tab and a thickness of the base issubstantially similar to a depth of the base-docking recess.

Clause 37. The footwear article of any of clauses 26-36, wherein aperimeter edge of a bottom surface of the base forms a 2D shape that issubstantially similar to a 2D shape formed by a perimeter edge of afloor of the base-docking recess.

Clause 38. The footwear article of clause 26, wherein a thickness of thebase is substantially similar to a thickness of the base-docking recess.

Clause 39. A footwear article comprising: a sole; an upper coupled tothe sole and comprising an ankle collar that is movable between alowered state positioned closer to the sole and a raised statepositioned farther from the sole, wherein the ankle collar includes atopline edge having an inferior-most portion along a medial side or alateral side, and wherein the inferior-most portion is spaced a firstdistance apart from a horizontal reference plane; and a collar elevatoroperable to return the ankle collar from the lowered state to the raisedstate, the collar elevator comprising at least one lever arm that is ona same side as the inferior most portion and that has a deflection pointpositioned between a superior segment of the lever arm and an inferiorsegment of the lever arm, wherein the deflection point is spaced asecond distance apart from the horizontal reference plane and the seconddistance is larger than the first distance.

Clause 40. The footwear article of clause 39, wherein the inferior-mostedge is positioned more anterior relative to the deflection point.

Clause 41. The footwear article of any of clause 39-40, wherein thecollar elevator includes a base positioned above a sole insert.

Clause 42. The footwear article of any of clauses 39-41, wherein thecollar elevator includes a medial-side lever arm without a correspondinglever arm on a lateral side.

Clause 43. The footwear article of any of clauses 39-41, wherein thecollar elevator includes a lateral-side lever arm without acorresponding lever arm on a medial side.

Clause 44. The footwear article of any of clauses 39-41, wherein the atleast one lever arm is a medial-side lever arm and wherein the collarelevator further comprises a lateral-side lever arm.

Clause 45. A footwear article comprising: a sole; an upper coupled tothe sole and comprising an ankle collar that is movable between alowered state positioned closer to the sole and a raised statepositioned farther from the sole, wherein the upper includes a skirtaffixed to a bottom surface of a sole insert, and wherein the upperincludes a first aperture extending through a thickness of a materiallayer; a collar elevator operable to return the ankle collar from thelowered state to the raised state, the collar elevator comprising a baseand one or more lever arms, wherein the base is affixed to a top surfaceof the sole insert, such that the sole insert is positioned between thebase and the sole, and wherein the collar elevator includes a secondaperture extending entirely through a thickness; and a connectorextending through the first aperture and the second aperture.

Clause 46. The footwear article of clause 45, wherein the secondaperture is positioned in the one or more lever arms.

Clause 47. The footwear article of clause 45, wherein the collarelevator further comprises a center connecting portion, and wherein thesecond aperture is positioned in the center connecting portion.

Clause 48. The footwear article of any of clauses 45-47, wherein theconnector is a segment of yarn forming a stitch, and wherein the segmentis positioned in the first aperture and the second aperture.

Clause 49. The footwear article of any of clauses 45-47, wherein theconnector is a two-part connector having one or more posts that extendthrough the first aperture and the second aperture.

Clause 50. The footwear article of any of clauses 45-47, wherein theconnector is a two-part snap rivet.

Clause 51. The footwear article of any of clauses 45-50, wherein thematerial layer is an outer material layer, and wherein the collarelevator is positioned between the outer material layer and afoot-receiving cavity.

Clause 52. The footwear article of any of clauses 45-50, wherein thematerial layer is an inner material layer, and wherein the innermaterial layer is positioned between the collar elevator and afoot-receiving cavity.

Clause 53. The footwear article of clause 45, wherein the upper furthercomprises another material layer having a third aperture, and whereinthe connector also extends through the third aperture.

Clause 54. The footwear article of clause 53, wherein the material layeris an outer material layer and the other material layer is an innermaterial layer, and wherein the collar elevator is positioned betweenthe outer and inner material layers.

Clause 55. The footwear article of clause 53, wherein the material layeris an inner material layer and the other material layer is an outermaterial layer, and wherein the collar elevator is positioned betweenthe outer and inner material layers.

Clause 56. A footwear article comprising: a sole; an upper coupled tothe sole and comprising an ankle collar that is movable between alowered state positioned closer to the sole and a raised statepositioned farther from the sole, wherein the upper includes a skirtaffixed to a bottom surface of a sole insert, and wherein the upperincludes a first aperture extending entirely from a first side of thematerial layer to a second side of the material layer; a collar elevatoroperable to return the ankle collar from the lowered state to the raisedstate, the collar elevator comprising a base and one or more lever arms,wherein the base is affixed to a top surface of the sole insert, suchthat the sole insert is positioned between the base and the sole, andwherein the collar elevator is positioned on the first side of thematerial layer and includes first part of a two-part connector extendingfrom a surface of the collar elevator and through the first aperture;and a second part of the two-part connector positioned on the secondside of the material layer and coupled to the first part of the two-partconnector.

Clause 57. The footwear article of clause 56, wherein the first part ofthe connector extends from a surface of a lever arm.

Clause 58. The footwear article of clause 57, wherein the surface facestowards a foot-receiving cavity, and wherein the material layer ispositioned between the surface and the foot-receiving cavity.

Clause 59. The footwear article of clause 57, wherein the surface facesaway from a foot-receiving cavity, and wherein the lever arm ispositioned between the material layer and the foot-receiving cavity.

Clause 60. The footwear article of clause 56, wherein the collarelevator further comprises a center connecting portion, and wherein thefirst part of the connector extends from a surface of the centerconnecting portion.

Clause 61. The footwear article of clause 60, wherein the surface facestowards a foot-receiving cavity, and wherein the material layer ispositioned between the surface and the foot-receiving cavity.

Clause 62. The footwear article of clause 60, wherein the surface facesaway from a foot-receiving cavity, and wherein the center connectingportion is positioned between the material layer and the foot-receivingcavity.

Clause 63. The footwear article of any of clauses 56-62, wherein thefirst part and the second part snap together.

Clause 64. The footwear article of any of clauses 56-62, wherein thefirst part and the second part frictionally engage one another.

Clause 65. The footwear article of any of clauses 56-62, wherein thefirst part and the second part threadably engage one another.

Clause 66. The footwear article of clause 56, wherein the upper furthercomprises another material layer having a second aperture, and whereinthe collar elevator includes another first part of another two-partconnector extending from an opposing surface of the collar elevator andthrough the second aperture.

Clause 67. The footwear article of clause 66, wherein the material layeris an outer material layer and the other material layer is an innermaterial layer, and wherein the collar elevator is positioned betweenthe outer and inner material layers.

Clause 68. The footwear article of clause 66, wherein the material layeris an inner material layer and the other material layer is an outermaterial layer, and wherein the collar elevator is positioned betweenthe outer and inner material layers.

Claimed is:
 1. A footwear article comprising: a sole; an upper coupledto the sole and comprising an ankle collar that is movable between alowered state positioned closer to the sole and a raised statepositioned farther from the sole, wherein the upper comprises a materiallayer that at least partially overlaps with the sole and that includesan outward facing surface facing towards the sole and an inward facingsurface facing away from the sole and towards a foot-receiving cavity,and wherein the material layer comprises an aperture extending throughthe material layer from the outward facing surface to the inward facingsurface; and a collar elevator operable to return the ankle collar fromthe lowered state to the raised state, the collar elevator having a basepositioned between the outward facing surface and the sole and a leverarm connected to the base at a junction and extending from the junctionthrough the aperture.
 2. The footwear article of claim 1, wherein thematerial layer that at least partially overlaps with the sole is aportion of an outer material layer of the upper; wherein the upperfurther comprises an inner material layer that is closer to thefoot-receiving cavity than the outer material layer; and wherein thelever arm is positioned between the outer material layer and the innermaterial layer after the lever arm extends from the junction and throughthe aperture.
 3. The footwear article of claim 2, wherein the innermaterial layer is an inner liner.
 4. The footwear article of claim 2,wherein the inner material layer and the outer material layer areopposing sides of a lever-arm tubular encasement that houses the leverarm.
 5. The footwear article of claim 4, wherein the inner materiallayer and the outer material layer are knit layers, and wherein thelever-arm tubular encasement is integrally knit.
 6. The footwear articleof claim 1, wherein the material layer comprises one or more apertures,including the aperture; wherein each aperture of the one or moreapertures includes a respective lever arm extending therethrough; andwherein each aperture is on either a medial side of the upper or alateral side of the upper.
 7. The footwear article of claim 6, whereinat least a portion of each aperture is below a biteline, which includesan interface between a topline edge of the sole and the upper.
 8. Thefootwear article of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of each apertureis above a biteline, which includes an interface between a topline edgeof the sole and the upper.
 9. The footwear article of claim 6, whereinthe respective lever arm extends upwards from the base, through theaperture, and towards a rear of an ankle region of the upper.
 10. Thefootwear article of claim 9, wherein the respective lever arm terminatesat a terminal end on a same side of the upper as the aperture throughwhich the respective lever arm extends.
 11. The footwear article ofclaim 6, wherein the material layer includes a medial-side aperture anda medial-side lever arm extending from the base, through the medial-sideaperture, and towards a rear of an ankle region of the upper; andwherein the material layer includes a lateral-side aperture and alateral-side lever arm extending from the base, through the lateral-sideaperture, and towards the rear of the ankle region of the upper.
 12. Thefootwear article of claim 11, wherein the medial-side lever arm and thelateral-side lever arm overlap with one another in the rear of the ankleregion.
 13. The footwear article of claim 11, wherein the rear of theankle region of the upper includes a first aperture and the collarelevator includes a second aperture; and wherein the footwear articlefurther comprises a connector extending through the first aperture andthe second aperture.
 14. The footwear article of claim 13, wherein theconnector includes a segment of yarn forming a stitch, and wherein thesegment is positioned in the first aperture and the second aperture. 15.The footwear article of claim 13, wherein the connector is a two-partconnector having one or more posts that extend through the firstaperture and the second aperture.
 16. The footwear article of claim 1further comprising, a base-docking recess included in a top surface ofthe sole facing towards the base of the collar elevator, wherein thebase is positioned in the base-docking recess; and wherein the soleincludes a tab that at least partially covers the top surface of thebase positioned in the base-docking recess.
 17. The footwear article ofclaim 16, wherein the tab includes a tab width in the medial-to-lateraldirection and the recess includes a recess width in themedial-to-lateral direction; wherein the tab width is less than therecess width, such that a medial edge and lateral edge of the tab arespaced inward of a medial edge and lateral edge of the recess; andwherein the at least one lever arm is positioned between the medial edgeof the tab and the medial edge of the recess or between the lateral edgeof the tab and the lateral edge of the recess.
 18. The footwear articleof claim 1, wherein the ankle collar includes a topline edge having aninferior-most portion along a medial side or a lateral side; wherein theinferior-most portion is spaced a first distance apart from a horizontalreference plane; wherein the lever arm is on a same side as the inferiormost portion and has a deflection point positioned between a superiorsegment of the lever arm and an inferior segment of the lever arm; andwherein the deflection point is spaced a second distance apart from thehorizontal reference plane and the second distance is larger than thefirst distance.
 19. The footwear article of claim 18, wherein the collarelevator includes a medial-side lever arm without a corresponding leverarm on a lateral side.
 20. The footwear article of claim 18, wherein thecollar elevator includes a lateral-side lever arm without acorresponding lever arm on a medial side.